david j



(No Model.)

D. J. DAVIDSON. PURIPIER, SEPARATOR, AND GRADER.

Patented 001;. 23, 1894.

- ing downward between the said partitions'adi UNITED i STATES .Ag-TENT Ferca.

DAVID J. DAVIDSON, OF PORT HURON, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNO-R OF TO-THIRDS TO ABRAHAM S. MARTIN AND STEPHEN G. MARTIN, OF SAME PLACE.

PURIFIER, SEPARATO-R, AND GRADER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 527,835, dated October 23, 1894.

Application filed November 20,1893. Serial No. 491,378. (No model.) v Patented in Canada December 18, 1893, No. 44,901.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, DAVID J. DAVDSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Port- Huron, county of St. Clair, State of Michigan, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in a Purifier, Separator, and Grader; and I declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this speci- Iication.

My present invention relates to improvements in separators and graders for purifying, separating and grading various kinds of grain, seed, middlings, flour, and analogous substances; and it especially relates to certain modications of the device described in my application, Serial No. 489,617, filed October 31, 1893.

Reference is had to the accompanying drawings in which the same parts are indicated by the same letters throughout the several views.

Figure l represents a central longitudinal section through the apparatus. Fig. 2 represents a plan View of the apparatus. Fig. 3 represents a transverse section through one of the delivery chutes; and Fig. 4 represents a perspective view of one of the adjustable foraminous diaphragms as detached from the apparatus. Y

A represents a casing into which the grain is fed throughahopper B the bottom of which hopper is closed by a valve b which is normally kept closed by the weighted arm b pivoted as at b2.

The chamber on the interior of the casing A, is divided by a partition O into upper and lower air passages D and E, the lower one of which is connected by the side passages Gto the fan chamber H, in which the fan K is journaled by means of the shaft c, which shaft is driven by means of the pulley K", or in any other convenient way.

The air passage E is partly interrupted by a plurality of vertical partitions e extending nearly to the top of the said passage. To the upper part of some of the said partitions inclined deflectors M are attached, and projectjustable foraminous diaphragme P are provided. 'Ihese diaphragms may be made of impervious material, but are preferably made of flannel or like substance p secured in a frame p and attached to the shaft p2 journaled in the sides of the casing and set at Y any desired position, such as is shown in dotted lines to the left in Fig.1,by means of the thumb screw or equivalent device p3. In the 6o base of this air passage E cant boards e are provided which form a vplurality of dead air chambers E,'E2, E3, and E4, at the base of which chutes F', F2, F3, F4 are provided. These chutes are preferably closedby double 6 5 valves which close automatically, such for instance as f and f shown in Fig. 3, which Valves are hung somewhat out of the perpendicular and fall by their-own weight, opening only when the pressure of the grain' or 7o other solid matter in the interioris sufticient to overcome the tendency of the valve to keep closed; or valves similar to that shown in the y mouth of the hopper B may be used for closing the chutes.

When the machine is in operation the suction of the air drawn into the fan chamber will be sufficient to cause these chutes to remain closed except when there is a considerable amount of grain or solid matter in the 8o bottom of the settling chambers E to E4.

The flow of air through the device is regulated not only by the velocity of the fan K, but also by the damper D mounted in, the upper air passage D.

A glass plate A0, or glass plates, are provided to allowinspection of the interior of the casing.

The operation of the device is as follows:- The stock is fed into the hopper B and falls 9o` vertically downward past the valve b. The air current from the fan iiowing in they direction of the arrows, cuts across the path of the falling stock, and carries the lighter portion thereof, and the Various impurities in the 95 stock of lighter specific gravity than the grain, over the first partition e, the purified stock falling in the first settling chamber E and being drawn oit through the chute F. The air carrying the impurities, passes partly roo through and partly beneath the first foraminous diaphragm, and the heavier solid par- 'ticles carried thereby fall into the second settling chamber E2 andare drawn o by means of the chute F2. Further separations are made in the settling chambers E3 and E4. By adjusting the foraminous diaphragms P the velocity of the flow of the air in any part of the apparatus, may be varied at will. The deiiectors M tendto check the airiinits motion and assist in causing it to drop its burden of solid matter.

The operation ot the various parts above the settling chambers is inspected by means of the glass plates A0, and the adjustments can be readily regulated to suit varying conditions.

It will be evident that in the herein-described apparatus a continuous current otair is forced through the machine, and that there is no escape of dust-laden air into the surrounding atmosphere. Moreover, it will be evident that by adjusting the diaphragms P and the damper D the force of the air in the machine or in any part thereof, may be varied ati will, and thus the-machine is eminently adapted to treat stock of various kinds, and of `varying degrees of lightness.

These and the various other advantages of the herein-described apparatus, `will readily suggest themselves to any one skilled in the art.

Having` thus described my invention, what Iiclaim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

l. In a separatorand grader, the combination with a casing of a fan situated in one end of` said casing and a hopper near the-opposite end, a partition in said casing extending from `said fan to` said hopper separating the interior of said casing into an upper air passage receiving air from the fan and a lower air passage delivering air to the fan, settling chambers provided at the base of said lower air passage, and adjustable diaphrams projecting downward toward said settling chambers, with air passages opening from said lowerair passage into the fan casing, substantially as and `for the purposes described.

2. In a separator and grader, the combination with a casing of a fan situated in one end of said casing and a hopper near the opposite end, a partition in said casing extending from said `fan to said hopper separating the interior of said casing into an upper air passage receiving air from the fan and a lower air passage delivering airto the Y-shaped fan, settling chambers provided at the base of said lower air passage, and foraminous diaphragms pivoted beneath said partition, and projecting downward toward said settling chambers, with air passages opening from said lower air passage into the fan casing, substantially as and for the purposes described.

3. Ina separator and grader, the combination with a casing of afan situated in one end of said casing and a hopper near the opposite end, a partition in said casing extending from said fan to said hopper separating the interior of said casing into an upper air passage receiving air from the fan and a lower air passage delivering air to the fan; Y-shaped settling chambers provided at` the base of said lower air passage, and foraminous diaphragms pivoted beneath said partition, and projecting downward toward said settling chambers, with air passages opening `from said lower air passage into the fan casing,

Vchutes at the base of said settling chambers,

and double valves closingautomatically and controlling said chutes, substantially as and for the purposes described.

4. In a separator andgrader, thecombination with a casing of a fan situated in `one end of said casing and a hopper near the opposite end, ahorizontal partition in said casing ex tending from said fan to said hopper separating the interior of said casinglinto an upper air passage receiving air from the fan and a` lower air passage delivering `airto the fan, a damper provided in said upper passage, Y-shaped settling chambers provided at the base of said lower air passage, with vertical partitions between said settling-chambers, and deiiectors near the tops of said vertical partitions, and foraminous diaphragmspivoted beneath said horizontal partition', and projecting downward toward said l settling chambers, with air passages opening from said lower air passage into the fan casing, substantially as and for the purposes described.

5. In a separator and grader, the combina` tion with a casing of a fan situated in one end otfsaid casing and a hopper near the opposite end, a horizontal partition in said casing eX- tending from said fan to said hopper separating the interior of said casing into an upper air passage'receiving air from the fan and a lower air prssage delivering air'to` the fan; a damper provided in said upper `air passage; Y-shaped settling chambers provided at the base of said lower air passage, with vertical partitions between said settling chambers and deiectors near the tops of said vertical partitions; foraminous diaphragmspivoted beneath saidpartition, and projecting downward toward said settling chambers, with air passages opening from said lower airpassage into the fan casing, chutes at the' `base of TOO said settling chambers, and double valves closing automatically and controlling said chutes, substantially as and for the purposes described.

In testimony WhereofI sign this speciiication in the presence of two witnesses.

DAVID J. DAVIDSON. Witnesses:

N. S. WRIGHT, H. R. WHEELER. 

